Set to hit newsstands on Wednesday, Sports Illustrated will feature six regional covers for its NFL Preview issue.

New England fans will see Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo on the front of the top sporting magazine in the country.

This is the 25-year-olds first time on the cover of SI. With 406 tackles in just three seasons with the Patriots, Mayo is a budding superstar in this league and already one of the best linebackers in Patriots team history.

Last season, Mayo led the league in tackles (175), which led to his first pro-bowl selection.

The former top 10 selection is still playing under his rookie contract (5-year, $18.9 million, $13.8 guaranteed), but look for the Patriots captain to get a contract extension before he hits the free agent market in 2013.

Matthew Marcantonio is the Patriots and college football editor at Sports of Boston. Marcantonio has contributed for two newspapers; the Sentinel & Enterprise (Leominster, Mass) and The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La) and held internships with The Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated.